Beef supply restored in Goa after 2-day shutdown

Panaji: Beef supply resumed in Goa on Christmas after a two-day shutdown. Vendors sourced meat from the Goa Meat Complex, Usgao, where animals brought by govt were slaughtered.

“The beef is hygienic, free from disease and as per the prescribed standards of the FSSAI,” said a senior official from the directorate of animal husbandry and veterinary services.

“About 9 to 9.5 tonnes of beef were distributed across meat vendors in Goa on Wednesday followed by another 10 tonnes on Thursday,” he added.

He added that the Goa Meat Complex will continue supplying beef to Goans for the rest of the festive season without any interruption.

Meat vendors had gone on a statewide shutdown on Dec 23 and 24, just two days before Christmas, to protest attacks by cow vigilantes after tensions flared at the South Goa Planning and Development Authority Market last week. What began as a tense stand-off quickly escalated into a physical altercation, leaving three beef vendors injured. They resumed only after chief minister Pramod Sawant made a statement on a public platform to take action against those who take law into their own hands.

“On the CM’s assurance, we have decided that we will resume beef sales. All our shops are therefore open, and we will continue supplying beef in Goa as long as there is no disturbance from anyone,” said beef vendor and general secretary of the All Goa Quraishi meat traders association, Anwar Bepari.

There are roughly 75 beef selling stores across Goa with nearly 250 vendors and workers engaged in the trade. Currently, Goa’s per day demand is about 25 tons of beef, however, only 10-12 tons of beef is supplied from the neighbouring state into Goa. Goa Meat Complex has the capacity to slaughter 300 animals per day.